The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Fangzheng was stunned when he heard that. He did not dare make any claims about his monastery but he was certain that it was efficacious when it came to children. How could it not work?

Fangzheng had some impression of Huang Lanlan. After all, most of the people that came to the monastery to offer incense were from the surrounding villages. He also played in the villages when he was young. Huang Lanlan was no stranger to him and he knew her name. Back then, Huang Lanlan had come in a rush. She picked up a high incense and placed two hundred yuan. She left after kowtowing. Back then, Fangzheng thought that she had something important. But from the looks of it, that was likely her character.

“System, what’s up with that?” asked Fangzheng.

However, the System completely ignored him.

Fangzheng knitted his brows rightly as he looked at Huang Lanlan and her fierce look. The people standing behind her were the same. All of them had eyes like ravenous wolves. If not for Lone Wolf, these people might have already taken action to smash the monastery. Fangzheng pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. This Penniless Monk never said it accedes to any request. This Penniless Monk said that efficacy depends on sincerity.”

“Sincerity? Was I not sincere enough? I offered the best incense. What else do you want? What gives the ordinary incense offerers the right to become pregnant but not me? If you don’t give me a proper explanation, I’m warning you, don’t even think of running this monastery of yours. I will stand guard by your door and see if anyone still dares enter to offer incense!” shouted Huang Lanlan.

The other four echoed in support. They threatened together, “If you do not give us a good explanation today, no one is entering your monastery today!”

Fangzheng shook his head. “Whether one is sincere or not has nothing to do with the incense that is offered. Instead, the sincerity in your heart is what truly matters.”

“I’m already in my forties and still do not have a child. Are you saying I’m not sincere? If I’m not sincere, why would I come to your crappy temple?” Huang Lanlan’s eyes were burning in rage as she roared.

Fangzheng was feeling depressed as well. If she had not been sincere, she would not have come to cause a stir. From the looks of it, that was not the problem. He suddenly thought of something and activated his Wisdom Eye!

Fangzheng was given a fright. He saw black gases lingering around Huang Lanlan. This was a result of negative karma plaguing her. This woman must have done something grossly immoral! Which Buddha would bless and give a child to a person with negative karma that resembled a devil’s?

Fangzheng knew that bearing children in the world was not necessarily determined by the gods. Therefore, not being able to conceive did not necessarily mean retribution. But if one did evil and showed no signs of repentance, nor use merit to make up for the negative karma, it would be useless no matter how much they prayed to higher powers.

Fangzheng’s face turned cold. “Patron, look at the sky.”

Huang Lanlan looked up and asked perplexed, “What’s wrong with the sky?”

“Whatever Man does, the Heaven watches. If the punishment is not forthcoming, it is because the time has not yet come. Amitabha… Patrons, if you wish to wait outside the monastery, feel free to do so.”

Fangzheng closed the door to One Finger Monastery. He could not be bothered with them. Good begets good. How could the world bestow evil with good?

Creak.

The five people at the door were dumbstruck when the door closed.

Huang Lanlan roared in anger, “Darn Bald Donkey! How dare you! I’m not leaving today. I’ll block your entrance and see what you can do about that!” Huang Lanlan was truly infuriated. According to what she knew, every villager in the region had conceived when they prayed for children. Only she did not conceive. Although she did not know what others said of her, she had a nagging feeling that people were always wagging their tongues at her behind her back.

She was unaware that it was her conscience eating at her. Something she had done years ago had been completely buried deep in her memories. In her panic, she had nowhere to vent her anger which in turn brought her to Fangzheng. She never expected Fangzheng to suddenly say something that only she could understand. Her final bit of shame ignited turning into anger.

Huang Lanlan was no longer causing a stir because of her inability to conceive. Instead, she wanted to know how much the monk knew! The more she thought, the more afraid and flustered she became. Huang Lanlan’s cursing turned worse.

Huang Lanlan’s elder brother Huang Lanping, the younger brother Huang Lanyu, the sister-in-law Ding Qian and the cousin Tian Ye, were dumbfounded by Huang Lanlan’s deranged state. They had originally agreed that it was just engaging in scare tactics to get the monk to explain to them why she could not conceive. Why did it become such uncontrolled cursing?

Huang Lanping could not bear to watch it further as he held Huang Lanlan back. “Sis, that’s enough. Stop cursing. What do you plan on doing standing in front of a monastery cursing and pointing? If you infuriate Buddha, you can forget about a child for the rest of your life.”

Huang Lanlan frowned. “Brother, you saw it too. I’m not the one making a scene. It’s that monk who went too far in his bullying! He hides when trouble is encountered. That’s just too much.”

“Sis, stop scolding. Let’s just block his entrance, preventing him from having any incense offerings. Let’s see who can outlast the other,” said Huang Lanyu.

“That’s right. It doesn’t look good if you keep cursing,” said Ding Qian.

Huang Lanlan was exhausted cursing but the moment she stopped cursing, she would have a panic attack. She would pace around nervously…

After waiting an entire day, what left them depressed was that for some reason, the monastery did not receive a single visitor! They had stood by the entrance all day but apparently did not affect the monastery in any way! Looking at the sun setting in the west, with the temperatures dropping, they finally had thoughts of leaving.

Huang Lanlan said, “It’s not a problem waiting here. Everyone is hungry. All of you can go down the mountain and have your meals first. Once done, you can swap me.”

They were indeed hungry. It was pointless suffering, none of them thought that their belligerent visit for an answer would end up with them receiving the cold shoulder.

Huang Lanping said, “Alright. Let Little Yu stay here with you. We will go down first.”

“There’s no need. It’s just a mountain and a monk. Do you think he will eat me? Little Yu, you must be starving. Go down with them,” said Huang Lanlan.

Huang Lanping and company tried persuading her but had no choice but to leave after failing.

Huang Lanlan suddenly stood up, raised her hand as she planned to slam the door.

At that moment, the door creaked open, lighting up her eyes. She did not retract her raised hand. Her fist’s momentum continued. She wanted to treat the young monk a lesson.

The monk was standing nearby but the wolf came out first. Huang Lanlan retreated in fright as she exclaimed, “Fangzheng, what are you doing? Are you releasing the wolf to bite me?”

Fangzheng shot a glance at Huang Lanlan as his brows pricked up. He shouted, “Huang Lanlan, are you aware of your sins?!”

Huang Lanlan’s conscience was already eating at her. When the door opened and with the wolf walking ahead, she was already at a loss. Fangzheng stood underneath the bodhi tree, dressed in white. He looked austere and his solemn and righteous aura made him look like a Buddha! His roar seemed to descend from the heavens!

Huang Lanlan’s legs went limp as she knelt at the door with a thud. Huang Lanlan realized something was amiss when she knelt. She immediately attempted to stand up.

Fangzheng had only made a probing attempt but never expected it to succeed instantly. He knew that something was indeed wrong with her. Hence, he said coldly, “Huang Lanlan, do you know why you cannot conceive?”

Back when Huang Lanlan heard Fangzheng mention in the day that Heaven watches what Man does, she already thought he knew. However, she found such talk absurd. How could there be deities and Buddha in the world? She only believed that the people that came to pray for children had eaten a secret recipe that Fangzheng had given them. She came here to cause a stir mainly for that recipe. But things changed. She wanted to know what the monk actually knew or if he was only frightening her.